


(I would not wish) Any Companion But You

by Llama1412



Category: The Witcher (TV), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Episode Related, Episode: s01e04 Of Banquets Bastards and Burials, Fluff, Love Confessions, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-31
Updated: 2020-05-31
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:28:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24480517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Llama1412/pseuds/Llama1412
Summary: I’m not your friend,Geralt always insists whenever Jaskier calls them such.
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion
Comments: 14
Kudos: 236





	(I would not wish) Any Companion But You

**Author's Note:**

> Title from Shakespeare’s _The Tempest,_ with slight modification.

Jaskier really should have expected Geralt to try and make a break for it after the Cintran Banquet. As it was, he barely caught up to Geralt in the stables. Actually, Roach already seemed fully tacked up, so Jaskier must have arrived just in time. Geralt had been leaning against the stall wall, but when he saw Jaskier, he stood up.

Because he was Geralt, he didn’t say anything, just took Roach’s lead and started to lead them down the streets.

“So, the druid, Mousesack,” Jaskier opened with, “how do you know him?”

Geralt’s smile was fond and Jaskier was in no way jealous. “He’s an old friend.”

“Old friend?” Jaskier cocked an eyebrow. “And how many decades of traveling together does it take to earn that title.”

“It’s more about which decade than how long,” Geralt said. “He knew me – before. When we were kids.”

“Oh,” Jaskier blinked. “So, a lot of decades.” He bit his lip. “That’s all well and good when you’re magic, I guess.”

Geralt’s brow furrowed. “What?”

Jaskier sighed and stopped walking. “I have a limited number of decades left. It would just be nice to actually be called friend within that time.”

Geralt continued a few strides ahead of him before he turned back to face Jaskier with a frown on his face. “But it’s not – ‘friend’ isn’t the right word for you. I don’t know what is, but you’re –” He let out a groan of frustration. “You’re – I dunno, you’re different.” 

Jaskier honestly wasn’t sure if he’d been insulted or not. “Different how?”

“You’re…” Geralt trailed off, face twisted. “I don’t _know._ You’re the only one who has ever traveled with me for so long. And you still want to continue.” Though he said it as a statement, Geralt’s eyes flicked to Jaskier’s face for confirmation.

“Of course I do!” Jaskier crossed his arms. “But how is that different from a friend?”

Geralt gave a gusty sigh. “You – you _stay._ As if there’s nowhere else you’d rather be. Like – like it never occurs to you to prioritize anything else.”

Jaskier’s mouth twisted in confusion. “I don’t get why this means I can’t be your friend. What do _you_ feel that’s different?”

“I –” Geralt bit his lip. When his gaze darted around for an escape route or distraction, Jaskier stepped closer and glared. Apparently realizing he wouldn’t get out of this without an answer, Geralt said, “when I traveled with Mousesack, the contract came first. Always. His safety is important, but he also knew the contract came first, so he – he’d stay out of the way or help or just – make it easier, I guess?” 

“What, and I make it harder?” Jaskier scoffed.

“Just last week, you ran directly into a griffon’s nest, Jaskier. On purpose! Stopping to save you could have cost us the contract, but I didn’t even think about it. You were in danger, and your safety comes first.”

Jaskier blinked. “Oh. You prioritize my safety – _me_ – above everything else.” As he spoke the words, he felt as if he were seeing Geralt for the first time. Suddenly, all the little things he’d dismissed for years – like Geralt always giving him the best cut of meat when he hunted dinner, or insisting on carrying and buying supplies for both of them, or always making sure Jaskier ate first because _humans need more food than Witchers,_ or ordering exactly the dinner Jaskier wanted and having it waiting for him, still hot, when he finished playing at taverns – suddenly all of it meant more. Jaskier felt like there was an explosion going off in his brain as he struggled to process. All of those things Geralt did, he did because Jaskier was _important_ to him. Because Jaskier came _first._

And here Jaskier had spent years thinking his chances of even being considered a friend were low. 

He thought about the way Geralt had only needed Jaskier to tell him the ingredients he used for an herbal concoction to soothe his throat and since then, Jaskier always found them on hand when he needed them. He thought about the way Geralt would give him his cloak if it grew exceptionally cold, and the way Geralt always defended him from angry spouses and parents, even when he openly and obviously felt that Jaskier was at fault in attracting angry mobs.

Jaskier felt a smile twisting the corners of his lips up.

“Geralt,” he said, “I’m pretty sure you’re saying that you love me.”

Geralt tilted his head. “I guess? You understand emotions and shit better than I do.”

Jaskier snorted. “A rock understands emotions better than you do.” He stepped closer and put a hand on Geralt’s shoulder. “But that feeling you’re describing, the way we come together as a unit and we both want it that way? That’s romance, Geralt. As in, spending the rest of our lives together.”

“Oh.” Geralt was silent for a moment, processing this new information. “Then yes, that. You’re that.”

Jaskier grinned widely. “This is somehow the most confusing and most heartfelt confession I’ve ever heard. And just to be clear, I love you too, and I want to spend my life with you.”

Geralt’s eyes met his for a long moment and his eyes crinkled, which meant he was smiling, even though his mouth didn’t twitch a centimeter. “Okay.”

“Okay. Cool.” Jaskier cleared his throat and couldn’t push down the dopey smile on his own face. 

“What now?”

“Now,” Jaskier said, “I am going to hug you and you’re going to let me. You can even wrap your arms around me, if you’re feeling really daring.” Putting action to words, Jaskier stepped all the way into Geralt’s space and slid his arms around Geralt’s torso.

Geralt went stiff at the contact, even with the warning, but Jaskier just tucked his chin over Geralt’s shoulder and tipped his head to rest against the side of Geralt’s. Like this, they were pressed together from head to foot and Jaskier rubbed his hands over Geralt’s back. 

It took Geralt a lot time to relax into the embrace, but Jaskier was patient. Slowly, Geralt’s arms wrapped around his waist and his shoulder, pulling him the slightest bit closer.

“That’s it,” he murmured, closing his eyes. He felt enveloped in Geralt’s warmth and he didn’t really want to let go.

But eventually, Roach nickered and Geralt pulled back to pet her nose. Jaskier chuckled. “Are you jealous of the hugs, Roach? Don’t worry, I have plenty to share!” He wrapped his arms around Roach’s neck and nuzzled into her mane. Incredibly, she let him and didn’t even raise her back leg warningly or back out of range.

Geralt hummed and Jaskier could hear the warmth in his voice now that he knew to look for it. How had he missed it before?

“So, what now?” Geralt asked.

Surprised at having his opinion asked for – not that he needed permission to give it – Jaskier took a moment to think. “I heard talk at the banquet that Kaedwen has a nekker infestation. We could go take care of that.”

“Ugh,” Geralt groaned, “I hate nekkers. They’re so annoying.” Still, he swung himself up onto Roach, and Jaskier assumed the feelings talk was firmly over.

So he was surprised when Geralt reached out a hand to pull him up as well. Geralt didn’t say anything, just cocked an eyebrow expectantly, so Jaskier took his hand and scrambled gracelessly onto Roach’s back behind Geralt. This meant he was sitting on their bedrolls and saddle bags, which wasn’t the most comfortable seat. But the boost gave him just enough height that when he shuffled forward to wrap his arms around Geralt again, Jaskier was also able to prop his chin on top of Geralt’s head.

Geralt huffed, but amazingly, he didn’t object. Instead, he nudged Roach into motion and they ambled down the cobblestone path out of Cintra.


End file.
